Nigerian National Assembly urged to pass law on aging aircraft

Airline Industry Information, Oct 3, 2003

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The National Assembly in Nigeria is being urged to pass legislation on the safety of aging aircraft, in order to make retrofitting of old aircraft mandatory.

The former managing director of the defunct Federal Civil Aviation Authority, retired Air Commodore A. Falope, claims that retrofitting old aircraft within a reasonably safe period is the only solution to keep them in the air.

Falope explained that retrofitting involves virtually re-building an entire aircraft with a new inner and outer skin, a strengthened frame, new engines, new avionics, reinforced cargo holds and new floors, which is a better option as aged aircraft are costly to maintain and Nigerian airline operators do not have access to lease or purchase finance.

Falope also advised that only suitable airlines be licensed to conduct external flights, to enable them to generate revenue and avoid purchasing aging aircraft, reported allAfrica.com.

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